Packaging machine



Feb. 17, 1942. w. s. CLEAVES I I 2,273,314

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Oct. 15, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 17,1942. w. s. CLEAVES PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Oct. 15, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

dswx, QLMJH' ATTORNEY W. S. CLEAVES PAQKAGING MACHINE Feb. 17, 1942.

Filed Oct. '15, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VENTOR. WA 6. u-H,

Clan-QM.

ATTORNEY.

embodying the I Patented Feb. 17, 1942 PACKAGING MACHINE William s. Cleaves, Pneumatic Scale Wollaaton, Mass Corporation,

ass gnor to Limited, Quincy,

Mass. a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 15, 1940, Serial No. 361,261 11 Claims. (Cl. 93-6) This invention relates to a packaging machine.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel machine for the application of a novel handle to a filled bag of the general type of a tea bag.

The invention has for a further object to provide a novel and improved packaging machine of the character described having provision for forming and filling a pouch type container for the packaging of provision is made for attaching a novel and preferably semi-rigid handle to the mouth portion of the filled bag in a manner such as to form a closure therefor.

With these general objects in view, the invention consists in the packaging machine and in the various structures, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described .and particularly defined in the claims at the .end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a sufficient portion of a packaging machine invention to enablethe same to be understood; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the handle attaching device shown in'Flg. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan view of a portion of the handle forming mechanism to be referred to; Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view in cross section of mechanism for folding the handle about the mouth portion of the bag; Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating the manner in which the bag handles are formed from a web; and Figs. 6, 'I and 8 are perspective views illustrating the steps in folding over and securing the handle to the mouth portion of the bag.

In general, the present invention contemplates a machine for forming and filling a bag of the pouch type, commonly used as a container for a beverage base, such as tea or coffee, in which provision is made for forming and attaching a handle to the mouth portion of the bag to form a closure therefor. The handle portionof the bag is preferably made of cardboard or similar material to form a semi-rigid handle to enable the tea or coffee bag to be manipulated as a muddler.

The bag forming and filling portion of the illustrated machine may and preferably will comprise the bag forming and filling apparatus illustrated and described in the United States patent to 1929, for a packaging machine, to which reference may be made. As illustrated in said patent,

tea or other commodity in whichment paper,

RQN. Doble, No. 1,726,060, August 2'7,

and as herein shown,

the machine includes a plurality of bag holding members or laws arranged to be revolved about a central axis and which are adapted to grasp the neck portion of the formed and filled bag and to intermittently convey the bag to different stations of the machine to complete the closing operation.

In the preferred apparatus embodying the present invention, provision is made for enclosing the mouth portion of the container extending above such holding members within the overlappingfolds of a cardboard or similar handle, and for securing the same form an efllcient closure for and convenient manner.

Referring now to the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment general, the packaging machine includes bag the bag in a simple forming and filling mechanism indicated generally at iii, an intermittently having a plurality of gripping jaws to grasp the formed bags and to support them as they are moved to successive stations, forming and attaching mechanism indicated generally at It and a discharge station indicated at.'l8 where the completed bags are released and delivered from the machine.

As fully disclosed in the aforesaid Doble patent the bag forming and filling l0 comprises feeding rollers 20 rotatable disk I! mechanism adapted to withdraw a predetermined length of material, such as gauze or parchfrom a roll 22 thereof and to feed the same onto a forming plate 24. Provision is made for severing the predetermined length of bag forming material thus fed onto the forming plate 24 by means of a knife 26 to form a bag forming blank bag forming a and thereafter a tubular funnel 28 is caused to descend' to force the bag forming blank through an opening in the forming plate 24. Simultaneously with the descent of the funnel 28, a predetermined quantity of tea or coffee is introduced into the funnel by a feeding member 30, and in the operation of the machine, when the tubular funnel is raised, the commodity being packaged is deposited in the pouch bag thus formed. As the funnel is being withdrawn, the gripping laws It are caused to be closed upon the mouth of the bag to contract the neck thereof, whereupon the jaws are moved to present the bag to the handle forming and attaching mechanism l6, all as more fully set forth in said Doble patent.

As herein illustrated, the driving mechanism thereto, whereby-to of the invention, in-

Il adapted for the machine may include a driving pulley 32 connected by a belt 34 to any usual or preferred form of motive power, not shown. The pulley 32 is loosely mounted on a shaft 36 and a pinion 38 formed integrally with the pulley 32 is arranged to mesh with a gear 40 mounted fast on a cross shaft 42. The cross shaft 42 is provided with a Geneva driver 44 cooperating with a Geneva spider 46 mounted fast on the shaft 36 to drive the latter intermittently. In order to intermittently rotate the disk I2 and gripping jaws I4, the shaft 36 is provided with a bevel pinion 48 which meshes with a bevel gear 50 fast on a control shaft 52 upon which the rotary disk I2 is secured. The feeding member 30 for feeding the tea or other beverage base being packaged is rotated to feed material in timed relation to the operation of the machine through connections from the intermittently rotated shaft 36 including sprockets 54, 56 connected by a chain 58, and cooperating bevel gears 60, 62 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The feeding rollers 20 for feeding the bag forming material are likewise intermittently rotated through a sprocket and chain connection 64 as shown. The material severing knife 26-is pivotally mounted and is arranged to be rocked in timed relation to the feeding rolls through connections including a cam 66 fast in the shaft 36, a cooperating cam lever 68 and link connected to an arm 12 formed integrally with the knife 26. The reciprocating funnel 28 is carried by a cross piece 14 connected to standards 16 which are arranged to be raised and lowered through connections from a cam 18 fast on the cross shaft 42. The cam 18 is connected to an arm 80 secured to a rocker shaft 82 and a pair of arms 64 also fast on the rocker shaft 82 are connected to the lower ends of the standards 16. As hereinbefore stated, such mechanism may and preferably will comprise the bag forming and filling mechanism shown in the United States patent to Doble, No. 1,726,060, only sufficient portions of which have been herein illustrated and described to enable the present invention to be understood Referring now to Fig. 2 the mechanism for forming and attaching a handle to the bag to form a closure therefor includes a pair of intermittently driven feeding rollers 90, 92 mounted upon shafts 94, '96, respectively, journaled in side frames 98, I00. The feeding rollers 90, 92 are arranged to withdraw a predetermined length of handle forming material such as cardboard, from a supply roll I02 thereof during each cycle of operation of the machine. As herein shown, the supply roll I02 may be supported upon brackets I04 attached to the side frames 98, I00. The feeding rollers 90, 92 may also be provided with scoring surfaces I05 arranged to form scored creasing lines I06, see Fig. 5, in order to facilitate folding of the material over the mouth portion of the bag, as will be described. A second pair of rollers I08, I I0, disposed immediately beneatlrthe feed rollers 90, 92 are provided with cutting dies arranged to sever a handle forming blank III from the web or strip of material and to form notched and cut off corner portions H2, in the blank as shown in Fig. 5, so that when the side panels H4, H6 are folded over, the corners will be cut off as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, after passing between the cut-off rollers I08, IIO, the handle forming material is recived by a guide member I I8 designed to gradually bend the side panels H4, H6 of the blank on the scored lines at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees to the base portion I20 of the blank. The blank thus bent is then passed between shaping rollers I22, I24 illustrated in detail in Fig. 3, which operate to feed the blank along in its bent condition through a stationary guide member I26 and into a movable holder I 28 arranged to receive the blank in its bent form in preparation for folding over and attaching the blank to the mouth of the container I30, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

Provision is made for intermittently rotating the feed rollers 90, 92, cut-off rollers I08, H0 and shaping rollers I22, I24, in timed relation to the intermittent operation of the machine, through connections from the intermittently rotated shaft 36, and as herein shown, the shaft 36 is provided with a bevel gear I 32 arranged to mesh with a bevel gear I34 mounted on a short shaft I36 journaled in a bearing I38 secured to the machine frame. A sprocket I40 fast on the short shaft I36 is connected by a chain I42 to a sprocket I 44 fast on a stud I46 journaled in the side frame 98. Idler sprockets I 48 carried in a bracket I50 attached to the machine frame serve to guide the chain. Each pair of rollers are geared together to rotate at the same speed, and as herein illustrated, a pinion I52 fast on the stud I 46 is arranged to mesh with gears for driving the cut-off rollers I08, I I0 and the shaping rollers I22, I24. An idler pinion I54 is arranged to connect the cut-off rollers and the feeding and scoring rollers 90, 92 as illustrated in Fig. 2. In this manner, the feeding and operating rollers are rotated intermittently to prepare the blank III for attachment to the mouth portion of the bag I30.

From the description thus far, it will be observed that the handle blank III is deposited in the movable holder I28 in its bent up, substantially U-shaped condition. It will also be observed that, at this time, a container I30, held between the gripping jaws I4 with its mouth portion extended above the Jaws has been moved into position in front of the holder I28. Provision is now made in the operation of the machine for advancing the holder I28 to present the base portion I20 of the blank I II up against the extended mouth portion of the bag, as illustrated in Fig. 4 and for folding over the side panels II4, I I 6 in overlapping relation to envelope the mouth portion of the bag. As herein shown, the holder I28 is carried on a slide member I56 arranged to be reciprocated in a bracket I58, attached to the side frame 98, through connections from a cam I60 fast on the cross shaft 42 of the machine. A cam roll I62 carried by a lever I64 is arranged to cooperate with the cam and the lever I64 is connected by a link I66 to one arm I68 of a bell crank. The second arm I10 of the bell crank is connected by a link I12 to one arm I14 of a two-armed lever, the second arm I16 being connected by a link I18 to the slide member I 56. The cam I60 is designed to advance and retract the holder I28 in, timed relation to the blank feeding mechanism and the cam lever I 64 may be provided with a. sp i g, not shown, to hold the roll I62 against its cam.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 4, when the holder I28 has presented the blank III into engagement with the mouth portion of the bag, folding fingers I80, I82 slidingly mounted in the holder I28 are arranged to be operated to fold the side panels H4, H6 respectively in overlapping relation over the mouth of the bag. Each folding finger is normally held in its outward or inoperative position by springs I84 in a position with the outer ends I86 of the folding fingers extended as shown in Fig. 4. Depressingmembers I88, I90 are provided in order to depress the extended ends of the folding fingers to cause each to engage and fold over its respective'side panel. Each depressing member is similarly mounted to slide in a bracket I82 and the depressing members are arranged tobe independently operated to first fold over the side panel H4 and to thereafter fold over the side panel II6 while the opposing folding finger is being retracted. The sliding members I88, I88 are arranged to be reciprocated through connections from closed cams I84, I96 respectively, fast on the cam shaft 42, the connections including cooperating cam rolls I98, levers 200, links 282,

. prises any usual or preferred' construction. The

stapling unitsare mounted between the side frames 98, I00 and are adapted to automatically feed the staple wire from rolls 2I4, 2I6 and to cut off and shape the staples and to affix the staples in the handle. Provision is made for operating the stapling unit 2I8, 2I2, to perform the stapling operation in timed relation to the folding mechanism, and as illustrated, each unit is provided with a gear 220 for operating the stapling mechanism. The gears 228 are arranged to-mesh with a driving gear 222 driven through connections from the cam shaft 42 including a sprocket and chain drive 224, bevel Sears 228 and sprocket and chain drive 228 as clearly shown in Fig. 2. In the operation of the device, when the blank is folded over the con-.

'tracted mouth of the bag, stapling heads 230 movably mounted in the unit 2I8, 2I2 are advanced to project the staples through the handle, and in cooperation with the usual anvil members 232 carried by the blank holder I28, the ends of the staples are bent over the back of the handle to complete the attaching operation. It will be observed that the staples are inserted at each end of the handle, the upper staple passing through the overfolded cardboard panels and back portions of the handle, while the lower staple passes'through the cardboard and through the contracted mouth portion of the bag and then through the back portion of the handle to secure the 'bag to the handle and to form a closure for the mouth of the bag. As illustrated, the heads 230 are arranged to straddle the folding fingers I88, I82 so as not to interfere with the folding'mechanism, and in operation, after the folding fingers have been withdrawn, the folded panels maybe held in their folded condition by a yieldable presser pad 235 arranged slightly in advance of the heads 23!) and movable therewith to compress the handle in its folded condition preparatory to the stapling operation.

After the stapling operation is completed, the stapling heads 230 and holder I28 are retracted andthe bag, with its attached handle, is moved to the discharge station I8 where the jaws I4 release their hold on the bag to permit the completed bag to drop onto a discharge belt 238 to convey them from the machine. The belt 288 is arranged to run over a pulley 238 fast on the cam shaft 42 to drive the belt.

From the above description it will be observed that the present packaging machine is adapted to produce a bag for use in the preparation of a beverage by infusion, such as tea or coffee, and is provided with a handle which in addition to serving as a muddler also forms an efliciont closure for the mouth of the bag.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described. it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a packaging machine, in combination, means for supporting a filled bag of the pouch type, with the mouth portion contracted and extended above the supporting means, means for supporting an elongated handle blank, means for wrapping one end of the blank about the extended mouth portion of the bag to form a closure thereof and means for fastening the handle to the bag.

2. In a machine of the character described, in combination, means for supporting a filled bag of the pouch type including a pair of jaws adapted to grip the bag to contract the neck portion thereof leaving the mouth portion extended above the jaws, means for supporting a semirigid handle blank, means for folding the blank about the extended mouth portion of the bag, and means for attaching the handle to the bag.

3. In a machine of the character described, in combination, means for supporting a filled bag of the pouch type with the mouth portion of the bag contracted and extended above the supporting means, handle forming means for forming an elongated semi-rigid handle blank, means for moving the bag into operative position with relation to said blank, means for folding the blank over said extended mouth portion to form a handle, and means for securing the handle to the bag.

4. In a machine of the character described, in combination, handle forming means for forming an elongated semi-rigid handle blank from a continuous strip of handle forming material comprising strip feedlng means, means for scoring the strip longitudinally, means for severing a blank from the scored strip, means for partially bending the blank upon the scored lines, a movable holder for receiving said blank, means for supporting apouch type bag, means for folding said handle blank in overlapping relation overthe mouth portion of said bag, and means for securing the handle to the bag.

5. In a machine of the character described, in combination, handle forming means for forming an elongated semi-rigid handle blank from a continuous strip of handle forming material comprising strip feeding means, means for scoring the strip longitudinally, means for severing a blank from the scored strip, means for partially bending the blank upon the scored lines, a movable holder for receiving said blank, means for supporting a filled bag, means for folding the handle blank over a portion of the bag, and means for fastening the handle to the bag.

6. In a machine of the character described, in combination, means for supporting a filled bag of the pouch type with the contracted mouth portion extending above the supportingmeans, means for supporting a semi-rigid elongated handle blank, said blank having a back panel and two side panels, folding blades carried by said blank supporting means arranged to fold said side panels in overlapping relation over said mouth portion, and means for securing the handle to the bag.

7. In a machine of the character described, in combination, means for supporting a bag of the pouch type with the mouth portion contracted and extended above the supporting means, means for supporting a semi-rigid elongated handle blank, said blank having a back panel and two side panels, folding blades carried by said blank supporting means arranged to fold said side panels in overlapping relation over said mouth portion of the bag, and stapling mechanism arranged to fasten a staple through handle and through the enclosed mouth portion of the bag.

8. In a machine of the character described, in combination, means for supporting a filled bag with the mouth portion contracted and extended above the supporting means, handle forming means including means for feeding a semi-rigid elongated blank, means for supporting said blank in operative relation to said mouth portion, said blank having a back panel and two side panels, folding blades carried by said blank supporting means arranged to fold said side panels in overlapping relation over said mouth portion, and means for securing the handle to the bag.

9. In a machine of the character described, in

combination, means for supporting a filled bag with the mouth portion contracted and extended above the supporting means, handle forming means including means for feeding a semi-rigid elongated blank, means for supporting said blank in operative relation to said mouth portion, said blank having a back panel and two side panels, folding blades carried by said blank supporting means arranged to fold said side panels in overlapping relation over said mouth portion, and means for projecting a fastener through the handle and through the enclosed mouth of the bag.

10. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a conveyer, grippers carried by said conveyer for supporting a bag of the pouch type with the contracted mouth portion extended above the grippers, means for. supporting an elongated semi-rigid handle blank adjacent said conveyer, means for wrapping said blank about said mouth portion to form a closure for the bag, and means for securing the handle to the bag.

11. In a machine of the character described in combination, a conveyer, grippers carried by said conveyer for supporting a bag of the pouch type with the contracted mouth portion extended above the grippers, means for supporting an elongated semi-rigid handle blank adjacent said conveyer, means for wrapping said blank about said mouth portion to form a closure for the bag, and means for fastening the handle through the enclosed mouth portion of the bag.

WILLIAM S. CLEAVES. 

